Red Gazpacho

prep: 30 minutes, plus chilling

serves: 8 (1 cup portions)

you’ll need…

1 slice day-old bread, crusts removed

3 cups cold water, divided

9 ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds) cored, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped (or 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes)

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

let’s get to it…

(You may have to do this recipe in batches if your blender or food processor is not large enough)

Soak the bread in 1-cup of the water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place bread in a blender or food processor.

Add the remaining water, tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, garlic and vinegar. Blend or process the mixture until smooth. While the machine is running, slowly add the olive oil.

Taste the gazpacho and add salt and pepper if desired.

Refrigerate until chilled.

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Nutrition Note: For this recipe, 1 slice white bread, tap water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp salt was accounted for in Nutrition analysis

Nutrition Facts per serving

Total Calories                         104

Total Fat                                 7g

Saturated Fat                         1g

Trans Fat                                0g

Cholesterol                            0mg

Sodium                                  173mg

Total Carbohydrates             9g

Dietary Fiber                          2g

Sugars                                      5g

Protein                                     2g

Nashville Style Hot Chicken

prep: 3 hours

cook: about an hour

serves: 6

special equipment:
 A deep-fry thermometer

to dry brine the chicken you’ll need…

1 3–4 pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces, cut breasts cut in half, discard backbone and wing tips

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

for the dredge you’ll need…

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons salt

for the dip you’ll need…

2 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1 tablespoon hot sauce (vinegar based, like Tabasco)

for frying you’ll need…

Safflower Oil, Vegetable Oil, Peanut Oil or Lard (yep, I said the “L” word)

for the spicy sauce you’ll need…

1 cup hot frying oil

4 tablespoons cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

let’s get to it…

Place the chicken in a large bowl and rub it with the salt and black pepper; cover and let it hang out in the refrigerator for 3 hours (or overnight if possible). Let the chicken stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes before cooking.

Set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Whisk the flour, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt together in a 9x13x2-inch baking dish (like a lasagna pan). Beat the eggs, buttermilk and hot sauce together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large (10-inch or 12-inch) skillet or other heavy straight-sided skillet (not nonstick!) to about ¾-inch deep. Prop the deep-fry thermometer in the oil so the bulb is submerged, but not touching the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°F.

Using 1 hand for dry ingredients and 1 hand for wet ingredients, dredge 1 piece of chicken in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess. Dip the chicken piece in the buttermilk mixture; shake off the excess. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture AGAIN and shake off the excess.

Place 4 to 5 pieces of chicken in the skillet, depending on how much room you have. Working in batches, fry the chicken, turning with tongs every 1–2 minutes. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady temperature of 325°F. Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes for wings and 17 to 20 minutes for thighs, legs, and breast quarters, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken reads 165°F.

Remove chicken from skillet with tongs, allowing the excess oil to drip back into skillet; transfer the cooked chicken to the rack. Repeat until all of the chicken is cooked.

And now, this is what makes Nashville Style Hot Chicken so HOT:

Ladle 1 cup of hot oil into a small saucepan or heatproof bowl and whisk in the cayenne pepper, dark brown sugar and chili powder. Brush or baste the sauce over the Nashville Style Hot Chicken. Serve on a slice or two of white bread with a few pickles.

Warm Kalette Salad

prep: 20 minutes

cook: about 8 to 10 minutes

serves: 4

you’ll need…

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

12 ounces Kalettes, with a tiny bit of the ends trimmed

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (available in Middle Eastern or ethnic markets)

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

let’s get to it…

Line a large rimmed baking tray with foil; set aside. Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 450°F.

Whisk the olive oil, minced garlic and salt together in a large bowl. (You can also use a large Ziploc-type resealable bag.) Add the Kalettes and stir (I use my hands) to coat with the olive oil mixture.

Pour the Kalette mixture on the prepared foil-lined baking tray. Sprinkle the walnuts and pomegranate seeds on top of the Kalettes. Drizzle with the pomegranate molasses.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until the leafy ends start to darken (not burn!).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the feta cheese.

Hatch Chile Cornbread Waffles with Watermelon and Hatch Chile Salsa

prep: 20 minutes
cook: 30 minutes

makes 4¼ cups salsa
makes 6 waffles

for the salsa you’ll need…

2 cups watermelon diced into ½-inch pieces

1 cup chopped Hatch Chiles

1 cup chopped spring onions

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons fish sauce

let’s get to it…

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir gently so you don’t break the diced watermelon. Set aside.

for the waffles you’ll need…

1¾ cup milk

1 cup chopped Hatch Chiles

2 eggs, beaten well

⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1½ cups gluten-free flour or regular flour

2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder or regular baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cornmeal

let’s get to it…

Combine the milk, Hatch Chiles, beaten eggs, oil, and garlic together in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl or onto a piece of parchment paper.

Carefully add the sifted ingredients and the corn meal to the liquid ingredients. Stir to blend, but do not over mix!

Preheat waffle iron. When hot, spray on non-stick cooking oil. Add enough batter to cover the bottom griddle of the waffle iron. Cook until golden brown.

Serve with Watermelon and Hatch Chile Salsa.